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Sunday, 20 January 2013

TLFG: 21-27 January 2013

If you didn't already know it's been a snowy few days in London so outside of the capital's top clubs, there hasn't been much football going on.

With the icy weather set to continue for most of the week it made me think whether putting this week's post together would be worth it but I've ploughed on nonetheless.

If you made it to a game at Griffin Park, Selhurst Park, Stamford Bridge, The Den, Upton Park, Vicarage Road, White Hart Lane or anywhere else in London this week I'd like to hear about it either here or via Facebook or Twitter (pictures gratefully received).

Wintery conditions in London have brought a halt to most football

My main football activity took place earlier this afternoon when I joined the first planning meeting of 2013 for this year's Non-League Day.

We haven't got a date for it yet, it all depends on when the FA schedule their various cup competitions, but we've narrowed it down to either 7 September or 12 October.

If you've got any suggestions or feedback about what we could do this time round, please get in touch.

All the best with your football watching this week, I don't think there'll be much of it!

LATEST TICKET NEWS

Each week at TLFG we attempt to compile a list of what's on general sale to non-members at London's Premier League clubs and for other notable matches (click on the team name for details).

The deal of the week in my opinion is to be found in League Two where, for some strange reason, AFC Wimbledon are playing high-flying Port Vale on Thursday night. The south-west London club are charging just £10 to stand on what will probably be quite a chilly terrace.

There are also two FA Youth Cup ties this week with Arsenal playing Fulham at Barnet's Underhill ground while West Ham United host Tottenham Hotspur at Upton Park. I don't have any further details about the Gunners' game but the latter is only £3 to get in to and therefore represents a great chance to visit one of the capital's best grounds and see a match on the cheap.

Looking further ahead, there's another deal to be had in the East End where it's 'Kids for a Quid' when West Ham United take on Swansea City in a Premier League game on 2 February.

Tickets are also available for a bonus international friendly between South Korea and Croatia at Craven Cottage on Wednesday 6 February. Sadly it kicks-off at 2pm, presumably for Korean TV purposes. If you're lucky enough to have tickets for England v Brazil at Wembley in the evening, you could take the day off and do an international 'double'.

If the Europa League is your thing, Chelsea v Sparta Prague on 21 February could be a fine way to spend your evening. It looks like tickets are being sold at a flat rate of £30 which is much less than you'd normally pay for a trip to Stamford Bridge. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday.

Last up in this section, we've received word that Fulham season-ticket holders can take up to two friends to their Premier League game against Stoke City on 23 February for only £5 each, so if you've got any mates who are regulars at Craven Cottage you might want to get in touch.

Over the next week there are more than 80 matches taking place in the London area so there's plenty to choose from. There are big London derbies, top of the table clashes, FA Cup ties and some FA Youth Cup fixtures too.

Details on all of them can be found in the following match map. If you've never used it before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the left side of the page to make sure you get all the information.

Bad weather will almost certainly cause many postponements as the week progresses so, as always, check with clubs before you travel. Please also let me know if any of the details are wrong or missing.

Next up is this blog's top 10 recommendations of games which I think could be worth a bit of your time this week - feel free to mention your own or let us know where you're going in the comments section below.

TLFG TOP 10

1. Arsenal v West Ham United - we kick off this week with a big London derby. This match was originally scheduled for Boxing Day but because of the Tube strike the Gunners pre-emptively called it off. The Hammers got promoted from the Championship last season and have settled pretty well but they're on a bit of a dodgy run at the moment having won only one of their last seven league games. Their record against their north London rivals in recent years is also poor with their 3-1 loss earlier this season taking their winless streak against them to 11 matches. Arsenal, however, are far from infallible but overall form and history seem to favour them. (Premier League, 23 Jan, 745pm. Ticket info)

2. Millwall v Aston Villa - I think it was a former BBC colleague of mine Caroline Cheese who coined the phrase 'cupset' a few years ago and this FA Cup match has all the makings of becoming one. The Lions are firmly in the hunt for a place in the Championship play-offs while Villa are having a hard time at the wrong end of the Premier League. A packed and vocal Den will be an intimidating place for Paul Lambert's young team who are probably quite low on confidence. From a historical point of view, Millwall haven't played Villa since 1990 and have beaten them on the last four occasions when playing at home. (FA Cup, 25 Jan, 745pm. Ticket info)

3. Brentford v Chelsea - from a west London perspective this looks like being one of the matches of the season. If you don't know the geography, this is a derby. It's also a real David v Goliath contest with an enormous gulf between the two clubs. We know all about the champions of Europe and the billions of their owner but what about their hosts? The Bees, managed by former Manchester City player Uwe Rosler, are currently one of the best sides in League One. Currently they are fourth of four in the west London football pecking order while the Blues are top. This is the tie many Brentford fans have been dreaming about for years and I mean YEARS. Despite the clubs' close proximity I was staggered to find that they haven't played each other competitively since 1950 so this really is a once in a lifetime game for some associated with the team. There has been some grumbling among the faithful that the club are trying to cash in and with the cheapest standing tickets going for £28 for non-members you can see why. It should still sell out though with the club reporting earlier today that the queue at the ground would take about four hours to get through. (FA Cup, 27 Jan, 12pm. Ticket info)

4. Queens Park Rangers v MK Dons - I wasn't going to include this game but then I changed my mind. There are only three London FA Cup ties, it's cheap to get in (£15), there's a bit of a derby nature to the match and there's a very real chance that we could have another 'cupset'. QPR are unbeaten in 2013 and did well to get past West Bromwich Albion in the previous round but they are still vulnerable. The pressure will be very much on them in this game as they have it all to lose. MK Dons, like Brentford, are well placed for a tilt at promotion from League One and in Karl Robinson have one of the brightest young managers around. It's also a short trip down to Shepherd's Bush for the away fans who will probably travel in considerable numbers. Last season, these two met in the third round and Rangers just scraped home by a goal to nil but only after a replay. (FA Cup, 26 Jan, 3pm. Ticket info)

5. AFC Wimbledon v Port Vale - away from the FA Cup we have this League Two encounter. As previously mentioned, this is being played on Thursday night. The Dons have had a tough season and will start the game in the bottom two. There are signs of recovery though with seven points gleaned from their last three games but their opponents on this occasion are much stronger than anyone they've faced of late. Vale are currently top and beat nearest rivals Gillingham at the Priestfield Stadium last time out. Don't forget the special deal in place for this match - standing tickets are only £10. (League Two, 24 Jan, 745pm. Ticket info)

6. Boreham Wood v Salisbury City - last week I extolled the virtues and achievements of Boreham Wood before seeing their games get called off. Well here I have another chance. To recap, the Wood are firmly in the race for promotion from the Conference South but get the smallest crowds in the division. As far as I'm aware they don't have a big benefactor as some similar clubs do so it must largely be down to good management by former Arsenal player Ian Allinson. This weekend they face league leaders Salisbury City who have won seven of their last eight matches (the other was a draw). Back in October on Non-League Day, when the sides last met, it ended 2-2 so I'm hoping for another decent game here. (Conference South, 26 Jan, 3pm. Club info)

7. Metropolitan Police v Whitehawk - one club that do seem to fall into the rich benefactor/few fans category are Whitehawk. The Sussex club are on course for back-to-back promotions from the Isthmian League Division One South right through to the Conference South. At the time of writing they are top of the Isthmian Premier by a considerable 10-point margin. A solid midtable team, the hosts will hope to push them hard as they did League One side Crawley Town in this season's FA Cup first round. (Isthmian League Premier Division, 26 Jan, 3pm. Club info)

8. Dulwich Hamlet v Kingstonian - after the disappointment of seeing their big game against Maidstone postponed on Saturday, Dulwich welcome south-London rivals Kingstonian to Champion Hill for this Isthmian League Cup quarter-final. The hosts currently play a division below the K's but are one of the best sides at that level so will want to prove themselves. They have every right to feel confident too having not lost a match since October, a run which recently included victory over Wealdstone (one of the best sides in Kingstonian's division) in the last round. The visitors have had a very mixed start to 2013 and most recently lost 1-0 at Hendon who have had a poor season. This match could go either way. (Isthmian League Cup, 22 Jan, 745pm. Club info)

9. Walton & Hersham v Walton Casuals - another match to fall foul of the weather over the Christmas period, the Walton derby is currently scheduled for Tuesday. Neither side have had much to shout about this season with both towards the bottom of the Isthmian League Division One South. The hosts are marginally the better side but Casuals are in better form having won their last two games against Eastbourne Town and Three Bridges meaning it should be pretty even. (Isthmian League Division One South, 22 Jan, 745pm. Club info)

10. North Greenford United v AFC Hayes - we finish this week with another derby on the west side of the capital. Like the game above, neither side are doing anything particularly noteworthy this season but AFC Hayes are North Greenford's nearest neighbours in this division so it should be worth a watch. One fact of interest - the hosts are managed by former Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Southampton player Neil Shipperley. (Southern League Division One Central, 22 Jan, 745pm. Club info)

If you have any questions or want advice about watching football in London, you can contact TLFG using the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or email.

Hi JF - have read and re-read the T's & C's for QPR and it's £15 for everyone. A few of the very best seats are £20. Season-ticket holders have priority when claiming their own seats but that expires in a few seconds.

To be honest, Rangers got less than 10,000 for the visit of West Brom in the last round when tickets cost £25 so any more than £15 for this one would be madness :-)

Full details: http://www.qpr.co.uk/news/article/160113-fa-cup-fourth-round-600901.aspx

About Me

I'm a QPR fan and follower of Harrow Borough in the Isthmian League.
In 2010 I set up Non-League Day to help promote semi-professional and grassroots football. I'm hoping that TLFG will help provide a similar boost for football clubs around the capital.
I also worked at BBC Sport for 10 years before it relocated to Salford but decided not to go, such was my love of London.